WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO ITALY

January 1, 1970

by Maryam Sameh

If you love history , Italy is the place for you .If you love fashion and shopping , Italy is also the place for you . Italy is a unique country .It has the perfect mix of modern civilizations and ancient cultures. Fun Fact : Rome has been founded in 753 BC . That means it’s been around for about 3000 years ! Milan is considered the global capital of modern fashion and design . And that contrast is what makes Italy the perfect place for a family holiday . I visited Italy in the summer of 2016 . That holiday was of of the best I’ever had . So I’ve gathered up a few tips that you need to know before planning your trip to Italy .

THE ITALIANS:

The Italians are a little bit arrogant . I had trouble communicating with some of them , partly because I didn’t speak Italian, and partly because they didn’t want to help . So don’t expect much help from the country’s citizens.

THE FOOD:

We all know what Italy is famous for : Pizza and pasta . Italian Pizza is definitely different than Pizza Hut or Papa John’s . It’s thinner , with less cheese , and lesser ingredients. It wasn’t my favorite. But it’s cheap and available at almost every restaurant you find . So you can count on it as a snack . The pasta was pretty much the same pasta that we all have at restaurants all over the world . So no , it wasn’t the pizza or the pasta that I fell in love with . It was the seafood . In Venice , I had the best seafood stew ever. It was more than delicious. So you definitely have to try the seafood on your visit.
One of the biggest problems that I faced during my trip , was the availability of normal water . I’d always go into stores and find only sparkling water . I don’t hate sparking water , but it just can’t replace the normal drinking water . So if you ever go into a store and find normal water , make sure to buy yourself at least a dozen of bottles and keep them in your hotel .

THE WEATHER :

Italy is hot . Very hot . I don’t recommend visiting it in the months from June to August. You’re going to be doing a lot of exploring by walking on foot , especially in Rome , and the heat might make that just a little more difficult and a little less fun .September and October are the most apt months for visiting , in terms of weather .

TOURIST-ING:

The amount of tourists that visit Italy is enormous. So almost all the tourist attractions have very long queues. When I say long , I mean you could literally wait for 2 hours or more .

To solve this problem, make sure all the tickets that you buy , whether online or on the spot , include skip-the-Line privilege. And these are mainly sold by people outside the tourist attraction , and they usually include a tour guide . It’s a little bit more expensive than the normal tickets but it’s worth it. I also recommend getting a tour guide wherever you go . Without one, you’ll feel lost and you’ll miss out on all the little interesting details that they tell you .

A great way to overview the entire city in a short time is by the Hop on Hope off bus.The bus takes you to all the places worth visiting in the city .You can get off and explore , or you could stay on the bus and enjoy the trip. You can book your tickets by clicking on the picture below . Also make sure you get hold of a map . It really helps to know where you are , where you’re headed , and helps if you get lost .

WHAT I RECOMMEND VISITING:

ROME :

Rome is a big city , so I recommend spending at least 3 full days there .You’ve got to visit The Vatican . The Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica are the most beautiful historical religious places in the world. The line to the Museum can sometimes be as long as a mile , so the Skip-The-Line ticket is required here. You can book that ticket by clicking here.

The Colosseum is fascinating as well. And even more fascinating from the inside . You’ve got to get a tour guide and get in , or else you’ll be missing out on its beauty . The line here can be super long as well , so you better book the skip the line ticket , and you can do so by clicking here .

The Roman forum and the Palatine Hill weren’t my favorite. You don’t need to get a tour guide there , you can have a stroll on your own and that’ll be enough .The Trevi Fountain is magical , it’s a must see .Yes, this is where you throw a coin and make a wish . You’ll find hundreds of coins lying on floor of the fountain. You don’t need a ticket here , it’s completely free.

PISA:

Pisa is 5 hours away from Rome by bus . The leaning tower is a beauty . But that’s pretty much what you need to see in Pisa . Unless you wanna see the leaning tower so bad , Pisa isn’t worth visiting.

VENICE:

Venice is my favorite city in Italy . Perfect place to spend your honeymoon. Dim lights , quiet environment and gondolas, all make Venice so different that any other city in Italy .Two days in Venice are what you need so you can see everything worth seeing . St. Marks square ( San Marco Piazza) is a great place to spend your evenings. Musicians play amazing music every night , and there’s a very good collection of restaurants all over the square. The square has the famous St. Mark’s Church where St. Mark is actually buried . You’ve got to climb the San Marco Campanile in the morning. You can see all of Venice from up there

Burano island is a must visit as well . The painted buildings will make you feel like you’re in some cartoon world. It’s so picturesque and colorful , you’ll feel like you don’t want to leave .

Murano island is home to the glass workshops . It’s a great place to witness shaping of the glass and turning it into beautiful accessories and designs . You can buy great gifts ad souvenirs here at a very reasonable price .

I hope you find some of those tips useful to you , and I really hope you enjoy your trip to Italy !

By Maryam Sameh

I'm just an 18 year old Egyptian teenager who loves traveling . I dream to travel the whole world someday , and share my experiences with the world .